Richmond Pre-Qualifying

We've got a 400 lap race this weekend, so the points for laps led and fastest laps will be huge again -- just like last week at Bristol.  We've got 100 laps led points available and 200 fastest laps points out there.  So, if someone dominates this race with 200+ laps led, it's going to be real hard to win if he's not in your lineup.  And, there are a good number of guys with good histories at Richmond and the potential to dominate this week. 

Here's an initial target list to work from:

• Denny Hamlin  -- This is the guy I think of when it comes to Richmond.  He has five consecutive finishes in the Top 6, including one victory.  He has led a total of 249 laps in the last four races, with a high of 189 laps led in Fall 2016.  I'd feel better about him if he didn't seem to have a mishap in the pits every single week.
• Joey Logano -- Joey has under the radar Dominator potential on Saturday.  One, his numbers are great at Richmond.  He has eight consecutive Top 10 finishes.  Last year, he won-* the Spring race and finished 2nd in the Fall.  I put the star by the victory because this is the race where Logano got a post-race penalty and the victory could not be used to qualify him for the Playoffs.  He never won again last year and missed the Playoffs.  Given the history, there is no one with more incentive to go out and dominate on Saturday night. 
  
• Kyle Busch -- Kyle is hot right now with two straight victories.  He also does very well at short tracks, including Richmond.  That said, he's been solid, but not great in Richmond races.  He hasn't won at Richmond since the Spring of 2012.  And he hasn't dominated a race there anytime in the last five years.  I wouldn't count him out on Saturday night, but his history isn't screaming Dominator either.
  
• Truex, Larson, Harvick and Keselowski also have Dominator potential.
• Daniel Suarez -- Suarez finished 7th and 12th at Richmond last year.  Joe Gibbs racing has an excellent history at the track and Suarez could be a good mid-level play this week.
  
• Aric Almirola -- He has finished in the Top 5 in two of the last five Richmond races.  Those races were in the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports car.  He is in better equipment now and could be a surprise challenger for the win on Saturday.  He has a good short track background.
  
• Ryan Newman -- Finished in the Top 10 in both Richmond races last year.
  
• I'll also be watching Clint Bowyer and Eric Jones.  Neither has a great history at Richmond, but they do have the background to excel at a short track and they are both with top teams that are running well right now.